Always
by The Killing Question
Summary: Yumi's most important person abandoned her for vengance. After wallowing in self pity for months, she begins to put her life back on track, but how will she react when her best friend shows up in front of her after nearly a year? ONESHOT OCxSASUKE


My life was never very difficult. Being a ninja, there were tough situation all the time, but as far as drama goes, there was relatively none. I had wonderful friends, a team I got along perfectly with, and a kind family that always supported me. My sensei was very understanding and was always aware of my skills and limits. The hardest thing about my life was in the subject of love.

Like many girls in Konohagakure, my eye had been captured by the lone Uchiha in the village. Oddly enough though, my affection didn't begin until recently. As kids we were always good friends. I spent many days after school at his house making badly crafted kunai out of cardboard and shiny paper. I loved his family to death, even his older brother. When the day came that they had all been killed by Itachi, I was devastated. I refused to speak to anyone accept my closest friend for months.

As we got older we spent less time together. He grew distant and cold while I was determined to stay positive and happy. When he was placed in his team with Naruto and Sakura, and I was placed with Kiba and Shino, we were together even less. It was during that time that my heart started to yearn for him. Anytime I could catch even a glance at him I was overjoyed.

The day he was hospitalized, I felt something inside me die. I was in his hospital room every day to watch over him. When I walked into his room and he was gone I had panicked horribly. It wasn't until I ran into Shino that I calmed down. A month later, when the Chuunin Exam finals came around and he showed up in the stadium to fight Gaara, that strange Sunagakure boy, I had felt a wave of relief crash over me like nothing else.

Then he was hospitalized again because of his brother in the next village over. And again I visited him every day to watch over him. It was then that I realized I had feelings for him. He was my closest friend even when we barely saw each other anymore. Why else was always by his side when he was hurt?

When he disappeared again and it became known he had left with four ninja from Otogakure for Orochimaru, I was devastated. More so than even Sakura. I was desperate to go with the team to bring him back, but Kiba refused to hear anything of the sort. He was right in keeping me from going too. The way I was feeling would have hindered their mission. But when the five came back empty handed I was so emotionally destroyed I had become nothing less of a zombie.

Two months later, Shino, who had never laid a violent hand on me even during training, had slapped me with all his strength. He then explained how even though Sasuke had left there was no reason for me to give up living. And he was right. That was exactly what I had done. I had lost weight because I'd be so emotionally drained that I would forget to eat. I no longer cared if my beautiful waist-length hair was damaged in training or on missions and never took the time to even trim it back up. I wasn't living anymore.

I tried much harder from that point on to re-enter society. I had gone to Sakura with tears in my eyes and asked for help with my hair because I had tried to even it out myself and lopped off over half of it in the process. Now I sported my pure white hair in an adorable shoulder-length bob with side swept bangs, my crystalline eyes once again glimmered with life, and my tan had once again returned to me. I wasn't whole, but I was more myself again than I had been in months.

Currently I was on a mission with Shikamaru, Shino, and Neji. Our job was to protect a noble from an assassination attempt by another village. The enemy ninja had made their move and were being staved off by the others while I readied my jutsu. As they moved the enemies into position in front of me, I performed hand seal after hand seal, focusing my chakra.

Once I was ready I yelled for my team mates to move. As they abandoned their enemy I called out, "Haka Reit ō no Jutsu!" [Frozen Grave Technique] The jutsu pulled water from the river not far from us through the earth with my chakra and up into frozen spikes into my target. It was a gruesome death, but so long as it came unexpected, it was very efficient.

"Nice job, Yumi-chan," Shikamaru praised as the group reformed. "I noticed during the battle that the man fighting Neji kept trying to slip by, while the other two just seemed to be trying to keep us back. When we can get the body out of that death trap of Yumi's, we can get Ojima-san to confirm if he was the man that was targeting him."

I grinned as Shino placed a hand on my shoulder and nodded at me. I had been working on that technique for months. This was the first time I had used it in battle and it had worked without a hitch. I was immensely proud and couldn't wait to tell Kiba how well it had gone when we got back home.

It wasn't but a few hours before we were on our way back to Konohagakure, the mission being a complete success. I took off at a sprint when the village gates came into view. I was always happy to return home after a long mission, no matter what mood I had left with.

After reporting to Tsunade-sama and enjoying a celebratory lunch with my team mates, I had made my way home where I was greeted by my parents with smiles and hugs. I relayed the highlights of the mission before I headed to my room to enjoy a well deserved nap.

It was dark when I had awoken. Rather than go back to sleep, I decided to take a stroll around my beautiful home. I had missed it.

Walking past the river, I decided to walk out and sit at the dock. Sad memories flashed behind my eyes. Many tear filled days were spent here with my best friend. It felt wrong to sit here alone now. This was our place, I could never feel safe here like I used to without him beside me. I sighed sadly. I stood and began walking back up the dock.

I stopped when I heard another set of footsteps walking across the wooden surface. I all but froze when I heard a too familiar voice say, "I missed this place…"

Glancing up, he stood there in front of me, hands in his pockets, eyes looking past me to the water beyond as if we had just run into each other in the street; my best friend. Didn't he realize just how impossible it was that he was here? His name slipped from my lips so easily I was hardly even aware I had said it at all.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered; fear had a hold of my heart. If I spoke too loudly I was sure this fragile illusion my mind was playing would be shattered. "You abandoned the village…"

"I didn't," he sighed and walked past me to the end of the dock. "There's more to the story than what you know, Yumi-chan."

"What then?" I turned on him, "What could possibly justify you leaving all the people that love and care about you?"

He hung his head and seemed to stare at the glittering water below as he replied. "When I had gone after Itachi…he asked about you. He told me I didn't hate him enough to grow stronger yet. He told me if I was unable to become stronger, he would take away the person I care most about." He sighed, "I left so I could get stronger. Going to Orochimaru was the only way for me to get powerful enough to kill him and to protect you."

"And?" I demanded. "Why are you here now? You've been gone for almost a year, Sasuke. Why suddenly show up out of nowhere?"

"It was a stupid mistake," he admitted. "I learned new things, but lately I haven't been getting anywhere else with my training. My determination hasn't been enough anymore. I needed to see you again," he muttered.

I was stunned. That was why he came back? "You _needed_ to? Why?"

He scoffed. "Are you that dense in the head still, Yumi-chan?"

"Dense?" I huffed, "I am not dense! What are you talking about, Uchiha Sasuke?"

He chuckled at me and stood up. "I missed you. I've always missed you. I couldn't stand being away from you all this time. Because you haven't been there reminding me why I fight, my training hasn't gotten anywhere. I need you beside me. I always have, Yumi."

Tears welled in my eyes as I shook my head and backed away from him. "You'll leave again. You're not going to stay."

"Yumi," he sighed and reached a hand out to gently hold my cheek, "Tell me to, and I'll stay. You're the only thing keeping me tied here. Tell me to leave and you'll never see me again. But if you want me here, tell me now."

Tears streamed down my face. This was real. He was really here saying all of this to me. "Sasuke!" I cried as I flew into his arms. "Please stay. Don't leave me alone again." I sobbed as he held me to him.

"I won't. I promise," he whispered, threading his fingers through my hair. After a long moment of quiet he noted, "You cut your hair…"

"I blame you," I scowled back. Technically it was because of him I stopped caring about my hair.

He laughed, "I like it."


End file.
